•A Sermon by Dr Bob Griffin, Pastor/Teaching Elder at Sovereign Grace Church
I. KINGDOM TRUTH TAUGHT
A. SITUATION IN CAPERNAUM
Matthew 13:53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there [Capernaum]
*Cursed City – Matthew 11:23 “And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades. For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you.”
*Opportunity Passed
B.SITUATION IN NAZARETH
Matthew 13:54a and having come into His hometown [Nazareth] He taught them in their synagogue
*On His Previous Visit
Luke 4:14-16 “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.”
Isaiah 61:1-2 “The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.”
Luke 4:21-22 “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of Him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips.
Luke 4:28-29 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove Him out of the town, and took Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. But He walked right through the crowd and went on His way
*Showed their evil character and unbelief. Wanted entertainment, benefit for themselves from a magician NOT conviction of sin and message of salvation from the Messiah
II. KINGDOM TRUTH REJECTED
A. REJECTION OF TRUTH
Matthew 13:54b “. . so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these powerful works?
*Seed falling on the hard-packed soil
John 3:18-20 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”
*Willingly unbelieving – Not LACK of evidence but in the face of OVERWHELMING evidence. Not LACK of truth, but REJECTION of truth
*Reject Christ’s Wisdom
*Reject Christ’s Works
B. RESPONSE TO TRUTH
Matthew 13:55-56 Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary? And aren’t his brothers Jacob and Joseph and Simeon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”
*Truth is Irrelevant
*Won’t deal head-on with the issue of their soul; Side track
C. REACTION TO TRUTH
Matthew 13:57a And they took offense at him.
*Offended
Matthew 13:13 “This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.”
III. KINGDOM TRUTH REVEALED
A. WORDS OF THE KING
Matthew 13:57b But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.”
B. WORKS OF THE KING
Matthew 13:58 And He did not do many powerful works there, because of their unbelief.